Switching atomic transistor and method for operating same

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are a switching atomic transistor with a diffusion barrier layer and a method of operating the same. By introducing a diffusion barrier layer in an intermediate layer having a resistance change characteristic, it is possible to minimize variation in the entire number of ions in the intermediate layer involved in operation of the switching atomic transistor or to eliminate the variation to maintain stable operation of the switching atomic transistor. In addition, it is possible to stably implement a multi-level cell of a switching atomic transistor capable of storing more information without increasing the number of memory cells. Also, disclosed are a vertical atomic transistor with a diffusion barrier layer and a method of operating the same. By producing an ion channel layer in a vertical structure, it is possible to significantly increase transistor integration.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/322,344filed Jan. 31, 2019, which is a National Stage of InternationalApplication No. PCT/KR2017/007444 filed Jul. 12, 2017, claiming prioritybased on Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2016-0087866 filed Jul. 12,2016 and 10-2016-0094517 filed Jul. 26, 2016.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a switching atomic transistor and anoperating method thereof, and more particularly, to a switching atomictransistor having memory characteristics using a conductive bridge, avertical atomic transistor using the same, and a method of operating thesame.

BACKGROUND ART

Due to the recent development of digital information communication andhome appliance industry, there is a growing demand for low power andhighly integrated devices, but conventional charge-control-based powerconsumption reduction and high integration of devices have reached theirlimits. In order to overcome the limits, studies on new memory devicesare actively under way using a phase change in an organic or inorganicmaterial, a change in a magnetic field, etc. In particular, new memorydevices having an information storage method that uses the principle ofchanging the resistance of a material itself by inducing a change in thestate of the material are attracting attention. For example,next-generation non-volatile memory devices include a phase-change RAM(PRAM), a magnetic RAM (MRAM), and a resistance change RAM (ReRAM).

In the case of flash memory, which is a representative non-volatilememory based on charge control, a high operating voltage is required forprogramming and erasing data. Accordingly, when a flash memory isproduced while being scaled down with a line width of 45 nm or less, theflash memory may malfunction due to interference between adjacent cellsand have problems due to slow operation speed and excessive powerconsumption.

Among new memory devices proposed as an alternative for solving theproblems, the MRAM with non-volatile memory characteristics needs moreresearch for commercialization because of a complicated manufacturingprocess, a multi-layer structure, and small margins for read/writeoperations. Accordingly, it is required to develop a next-generationnon-volatile memory device with low power, high integration, and a lowmanufacturing process ratio to overcome shortcomings of such devices.

A conventional transistor is composed of three terminals, i.e., a sourceelectrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode and operates a deviceby adjusting the carrier concentration of silicon. That is, by adjustingthe voltage of the gate electrode, it is possible to adjust resistancebetween the source electrode and the drain electrode. A transistor has acharacteristic in which a stored logic disappears at the same time whenpower is off, and therefore, a memory responsible for storage should beseparately disposed in order to use a transistor as a computationelement. Thus, a bottleneck occurs during storage and retrieval of databetween the memory and the computation element, resulting in a slowdownof the transistor. Also, since a horizontal channel is used, there is alimitation to improving a degree of integration.

Also, for the next-generation non-volatile memory devices, attempts havebeen made to implement a multi-level cell such as a flash memory device.However, there is almost no next-generation non-volatile memory devicethat realizes reliable multi-level operation to the extent that it canbe commercialized.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/044,696 (filed on Oct. 2, 2013) andU.S. Ser. No. 11/209,025 (filed on Mar. 9, 2006) disclose semiconductormemory manufacturing steps using two-electrode methods. Themanufacturing steps include a function of a device that operates afterforming a conductive bridge in a resistor due to ion migration, but havelow reliability in repetitive device operation caused by the formationof the conductive bridge in a resistance change layer.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/871,040 (filed on Apr. 26, 2013)relates to a conductive-bridge resistive memory and discloses a methodof manufacturing a programmable metallization cell (PMC) for resistivesoftware (S/W) in a non-volatile memory. This structure can suppressleakage current by having a semiconductor layer between a memory layerand an ion supply layer, in order to decrease leakage current to improvedevice performance by lowering an electric field value during celloperation and by suppressing occurrence of defects in a high electricfield. It is possible to reduce leakage current by having atwo-electrode structure as a default structure and additionally having asemiconductor layer. However, an increase in resistance of a resistancechange layer included in the semiconductor layer causes a reduction inreliability of non-volatile memory characteristics during repetitiveoperation.

Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0013264 (filed on Feb. 6, 2013)discloses a conductive bridge random access memory (CBRAM) that uses agrowth rate difference of a filament, which is a conductive bridge,depending on the density of an insulating layer material by configuringa first insulating layer and a second insulating layer, lowering thedensity of the first insulating layer below that of the secondinsulating layer, installing a first metal on the other side of thefirst insulating layer, and installing a second metal on the other sideof the second insulating layer. The CBRAM overcomes the limitation of anRAM and assigns a memory function, and adopts a two-electrode scheme ofan operation method for forming and eliminating a conductive bridgeformed by electrodeposition. For this device, it is difficult tomaintain the growth rate difference of the filament during repetitiveoperation and thus reliability of the device is reduced.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/347,840 (filed on Jan. 12, 2012)relates to a non-volatile resistive memory cell having an active layerand discloses a CBRAM of a two-electrode structure in which an activematerial is present between a first electrode and a second electrodeformed of a metal or a metal silicide and a wall is present between thefirst electrode and the active material. The CBRAM has a two-electrodestructure that has a conductive bridge formed due to migration of ionsin the active layer and that performs a non-volatile memory function. Adielectric layer is not in contact with an ion source layer, unlike thepresent invention.

Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-42825 (filed on Feb. 29, 2012)relates to a storage device capable of performing miniaturization whilemaintaining good thermal insulation of the device. The storage device iscomposed of a first electrode, a storage layer, and a second electrodeand has an insulating layer installed in a side wall of the storagelayer. The storage device has a transistor (a metal-oxide-semiconductorfield-effect transistor (MOSFET)) for controlling the first electrode.That is, for the storage device, it is difficult to reduce process costsdue to complicated device production because a non-volatile memorydevice having a two-electrode structure is controlled by the transistor.

Recently, much research has been conducted on a conductive bridge memory(CBM) device, which is one field of ReRAM devices. A resistance statechanges when a metal filament is formed and eliminated by oxidation andreduction reactions of metal atoms or metal ions penetrated from a metalelectrode into a resistance change layer according to a voltage appliedto the resistance change layer. Solid electrolyte materials such as anoxide or GeS are mainly used as the material of the resistance changelayer which has been used so far. However, the solid electrolytematerials are very unstable in terms of a low resistance state, a highresistance state, and scattering characteristics of SET and RESETvoltages, and it is difficult to perform device control by using thesolid electrolyte materials. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a newmaterial for the resistance change layer or to propose a new structurecapable of always allowing stable operation during repetitive devicecontrol.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Problem

A first objective to be achieved by the present invention is to providea switching atomic transistor that may form a conductive bridge andstably maintain the concentration of ions in the conductive bridge byintroducing a diffusion barrier layer capable of selectively blockingdiffusion of ions depending on levels of a voltage of an ion source gateelectrode.

A second objective to be achieved by the present invention is to providea method of operating the switching atomic transistor provided byachieving the first objective.

A third objective to be achieved by the present invention is to providea vertical atomic transistor capable of significantly increasing deviceintegration using the principle of the switching atomic transistor.

A fourth objective to be achieved by the present invention is to providea method of operating the vertical atomic transistor provided byachieving the third objective.

Technical Solution

In order to achieve the first technical objective, the present inventionprovides a switching atomic transistor including a substrate, a sourceelectrode formed on the substrate, a drain electrode formed on thesubstrate and spaced apart from the source electrode, an intermediatelayer formed over the source electrode or the drain electrode to fillthe space between the source electrode and the drain electrode, adiffusion barrier layer formed on the intermediate layer to preventdiffusion of ions of the intermediate layer, and an ion source gateelectrode formed on the diffusion barrier layer to supply ions to theintermediate layer upon an initial operation.

The source electrode or the drain electrode may be formed of at leastone material selected from the group consisting of p-doped Si, n-dopedSi, WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, TiN, titanium oxynitride (TiON), and tungstenoxynitride (WON).

The intermediate layer may be formed of at least one material selectedfrom the group consisting of CuInS, CuInSe, CuInS, CdInSe, MnInS,MnZnInS, ZnInSe, InS, InSSe, InSe, CdS, ZnCdS, ZnInS, a-Si, SiO₂, Al₂O₃,Ta₂O₅, metal oxides, crystalline SiO₂, crystalline Al₂O₃, and CuS.

The ion source gate electrode may be formed of at least one materialselected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, and alloys thereof.

The diffusion barrier layer may be formed of at least one materialselected from the group consisting of WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, GaN, SiN_(x),and Si₃N₄.

The switching atomic transistor may further include a capping layerformed on the ion source gate electrode to protect the ion source gateelectrode.

The capping layer may be formed of at least one material selected fromthe group consisting of WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, TiN, TiON, and WON.

In order to achieve the second technical objective, the presentinvention provides a method of operating a switching atomic transistorincluding a source electrode formed on a substrate, a drain electrodeformed on the substrate and spaced apart from the source electrode, anintermediate layer formed over the source electrode and the drainelectrode to fill the space between the source electrode and the drainelectrode, a diffusion barrier layer formed on the intermediate layer,and an ion source gate electrode formed on the diffusion barrier layer,the method including applying an overvoltage to the ion source gateelectrode, enabling ions to migrate from the ion source gate electrodeinto the intermediate layer due to the overvoltage, applying a positivevoltage to the ion source gate electrode so that ions migrate to achannel area inside the intermediate layer to form an ion layer, andapplying a negative voltage to the ion source gate electrode so thations migrate toward the ion source gate to eliminate the ion layer.

The applying of a positive voltage to the ion source gate electrode sothat ions migrate to a channel area inside the intermediate layer toform an ion layer and the applying of a negative voltage to the ionsource gate electrode so that ions migrate toward the ion source gate toeliminate the ion layer may include adjusting a source-drain current byadjusting the number of ions to be moved depending on levels of thevoltage applied to the ion source gate electrode.

In order to achieve the third technical objective, the present inventionprovides a vertical atomic transistor including a substrate, a drainelectrode formed on the substrate, an ion channel layer formed on thedrain electrode and disposed perpendicularly to the substrate, a firstdiffusion barrier layer formed on a side surface of the ion channellayer, an ion source gate electrode formed in contact with an outersurface of the first diffusion barrier layer, a second diffusion barrierlayer formed on the ion channel layer, and a source electrode formed onthe second diffusion barrier layer.

The vertical atomic transistor may further include a first oxide layerformed between the ion source gate electrode and the substrate to spacethe drain electrode apart from the ion source gate electrode.

The first oxide layer may be formed of at least one material selectedfrom the group consisting of CuInS, CuInSe, CuInS, CdInSe, MnInS,MnZnInS, ZnInSe, InS, InSSe, InSe, CdS, ZnCdS, ZnInS, a-Si, SiO₂, Al₂O₃,crystalline SiO₂, crystalline Al₂O₃, CuS, and metal oxides.

The first oxide layer may be formed under the first diffusion barrierlayer and in contact with a lower area of the ion channel layer that isin contact with the first diffusion barrier layer.

The first oxide layer may completely shield a side surface of the drainelectrode.

The vertical atomic transistor may further include a second oxide layerformed on a side surface of the second diffusion barrier layer over thefirst oxide layer to shield a portion of an exposed side surface of theion channel layer.

The second oxide layer may be formed of at least one material selectedfrom the group consisting of CuInS, CuInSe, CuInS, CdInSe, MnInS,MnZnInS, ZnInSe, InS, InSSe, InSe, CdS, ZnCdS, ZnInS, a-Si, SiO₂, Al₂O₃,crystalline SiO₂, crystalline Al₂O₃, CuS, and metal oxides.

Also in the vertical atomic transistor, a surface oxide layer may befurther formed between the substrate and the drain electrode to achieveelectrical insulation between the substrate and the drain electrode, andthe surface oxide layer may be formed of at least one material selectedfrom the group consisting of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, TaO₂, TiO₂, BaTiO₂,HfO₂, and Cu₂O.

The drain electrode may be formed of at least one material selected fromthe group consisting of p-doped Si, n-doped Si, WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, TiN,TiON, and WON.

The ion channel layer may be formed of at least one material selectedfrom the group consisting of CuInS, CuInSe, CuInS, CdInSe, MnInS,MnZnInS, ZnInSe, InS, InSSe, InSe, CdS, ZnCdS, ZnInS, a-Si, SiO₂, Al₂O₃,crystalline SiO₂, crystalline Al₂O₃, CuS, and metal oxides.

The first diffusion barrier layer or the second diffusion barrier layermay be formed of at least one material selected from the groupconsisting of WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, GaN, SiN_(x), and Si₃N₄.

The ion source gate electrode may be formed of at least one materialselected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, and alloys thereof.

The source electrode may be formed of at least one material selectedfrom the group consisting of Cu, Ag, and alloys thereof.

In order to achieve the fourth technical objective, the presentinvention provides a method of operating a vertical atomic transistorhaving an ion channel layer formed perpendicularly to a substrate, asource electrode and a drain electrode formed over and under the ionchannel layer, and an ion source gate electrode formed in contact with aside surface of the ion channel layer, the method including applying anovervoltage to the source electrode so that metal ions migrate from thesource electrode into the ion channel layer to form a conductive bridge,applying a negative voltage to the ion source gate electrode so that theions forming the conductive bridge in the ion channel layer migratetoward a first diffusion prevention layer to remove a portion of theconductive bridge, and applying a positive voltage to the ion sourcegate electrode so that the ions forming the conductive bridge in the ionchannel layer migrate to a center of the ion channel layer to form theconductive bridge.

The formation or elimination of the conductive bridge in the ion channellayer may be maintained even when no voltage is applied to the sourceelectrode, the drain electrode, and the ion source gate electrode.

The applying of a negative voltage to the ion source gate electrode sothat the ions forming the conductive bridge in the ion channel layermigrate toward a first diffusion prevention layer to remove a portion ofthe conductive bridge and the applying of a positive voltage to the ionsource gate electrode so that the ions forming the conductive bridge inthe ion channel layer migrate to a center of the ion channel layer toform the conductive bridge may include providing a multi-levelresistance value by applying different voltages on a step basis toadjust the number of ions migrated in the ion channel layer.

Advantageous Effects of the Invention

According to the present invention, by introducing a diffusion barrierlayer between an ion source gate electrode and an intermediate layer, itis possible to stably maintain the concentration of ions forming aconductive bridge in the intermediate layer according to voltage of thegate electrode and to maintain stable operation of a transistor.

Also, the concentration of ions in a channel area is adjusted using anelectric field and the ions do not migrate while power supply is cutoff, and thus it is possible to implement a non-volatile memorycharacteristic of the transistor.

In addition, even when power supply is cut off, it is possible toachieve a design capable of processing computation and storage at onetime using a storage function of the transistor and also to apply to aneuromorphic computer and next-generation computing.

In a conventional memory, when a device size is reduced, a channellength is shortened and thus it is impossible to operate the memory.However, the transistor of the present invention has an operatingcharacteristic caused by a conductive bridge formed by ions, and thus itis possible to scale down the transistor to a unit of several atoms.

The vertical atomic transistor according to an embodiment of the presentinvention is a transistor formed in a vertical structure, and thus mayshorten a width of an ion channel layer. Accordingly, it is possible toremarkably increase device integration.

It should be noted that technical effects of the present invention arenot limited to the above-described effects, and other effects that arenot described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe following descriptions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a switching atomic transistor according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a switching atomic transistor additionallyincluding a capping layer on an ion source gate electrode according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating migration of ions in anintermediate layer according to a gate voltage in a switching atomictransistor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A to 4C are characteristic graphs of a two-electrode structureswitching atom device produced to evaluate operation of the devicedepending on the presence or absence of a diffusion barrier layer.

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating operation of the switching atomictransistor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a vertical atomic transistor according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a process of producing the vertical atomictransistor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the process of producing the verticalatomic transistor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating operation of the vertical atomictransistor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing a change in a source-drain current accordingto a gate voltage of the vertical atomic transistor produced accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

MODE OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described indetail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention may be embodied in many different forms, andspecific embodiments thereof illustrated in the drawings will bedescribed in detail. However, the present invention is not limited tothe specific embodiments described below, but rather the presentinvention includes all alternatives, modifications, and equivalentsfalling within the spirit of the present invention defined by theappended claims.

It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, orsubstrate is referred to as being “on” another element, it can bedirectly on the other element or intervening elements may also bepresent.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. maybe used herein to describe various elements, components, areas, layers,and/or regions, these elements, components, areas, layers, and/orregions are not be limited by these terms.

Embodiment 1: Switching Atomic Transistor

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a switching atomic transistor 100according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the switching atomic transistor 100 includes asource electrode 130 formed on a substrate 110, a drain electrode 120formed on the substrate 110 and spaced apart from the source electrode130, an intermediate layer 140 formed on the source electrode 130 andthe drain electrode 120 and configured to fill the space between thesource electrode 130 and the drain electrode 120, a diffusion barrierlayer 150 formed on the intermediate layer 140, and an ion source gateelectrode 160 formed on the diffusion barrier layer 150.

The substrate 110 may be formed of at least one material selected fromthe group consisting of Si, Al₂O₃, SiC, Si₃N₄, GaAs, and GaN. Also, asurface oxide layer (not shown) may be formed on the substrate 110 andmay be formed of any one material selected from the group consisting ofSiO₂, Al₂O₃, crystalline SiO₂, and crystalline Al₂O₃. A general metallicmaterial may be used for the substrate 110.

The source electrode 130 and the drain electrode 120 are formed on thesubstrate 110 and spaced apart from each other. The space between thesource electrode 130 and the drain electrode 120 is preferably in therange of 2 nm to 20 nm, but the present invention is not limitedthereto.

The source electrode 130 and the drain electrode 120 may be formed of atleast one material selected from the group consisting of p-doped Si,n-doped Si, WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, TiN, titanium oxynitride (TiON), andtungsten oxynitride (WON).

The intermediate layer 140 is formed on some regions of the sourceelectrode 130 and the drain electrode 120 and on a portion of thesubstrate 110 exposed to the space between the source electrode 130 andthe drain electrode 120.

An amorphous semiconductor, a metal oxide, and a metal sulfide may beused as the material of the intermediate layer 140. For example, thematerial of the intermediate layer 140 may be at least one materialselected from the group consisting of CuInS, CuInSe, CuInS, CdInSe,MnInS, MnZnInS, ZnInSe, InS, InSSe, InSe, CdS, ZnCdS, ZnInS, a-Si, SiO₂,Al₂O₃, crystalline SiO₂, crystalline Al₂O₃, CuS, and metal oxides, butthe present invention is not limited thereto.

The intermediate layer 140 may have a thickness of 1 nm or more fornormal operation of the switching atomic transistor, preferably between1 nm and 10 nm.

The diffusion barrier layer 150 is formed on the intermediate layer 140.The diffusion barrier layer 150 may be formed of at least one materialselected from the group consisting of WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, GaN, SiN_(x),and Si₃N₄.

The ion source gate electrode 160 is formed on the diffusion barrierlayer 150.

Any metal can be used for the ion source gate electrode 160 as long asthe metal has a high diffusion coefficient in a solid so that metal ionscan migrate due to an electric field. For example, the ion source gateelectrode 160 may be formed of at least one material selected from thegroup consisting of Cu, Ag, and alloys thereof, but the presentinvention is not limited thereto.

In particular, when an alloy such as AgNi or CuTe is used as thematerial of the ion source gate electrode 160, over-injection of ionsfrom the ion source gate electrode 160 is prevented when the switchingatomic transistor is repeatedly driven, thereby further increasingstability of the switching atomic transistor.

The ion source gate electrode 160 may have a thickness of 1 nm to 100nm.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a switching atomic transistor 200 whichfurther includes a capping layer 210 on the ion source gate electrode160 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the capping layer 210 is formed on the ion sourcegate electrode 160 to prevent oxidation of the ion source gate electrode160.

The capping layer 210 may be formed of at least one material selectedfrom the group consisting of WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, TiN, TiON, and WON.Since the diffusion barrier layer 150 is present between the ion sourcegate electrode 160 and the intermediate layer 140, the transistor ishardly influenced by the oxidation of the ion source gate electrode 160.However, when the thickness of the ion source gate electrode 160 isdesigned to range from 1 nm to 5 nm, the oxidation of the ion sourcegate electrode 160 may adversely influence the diffusion barrier layer150 and the intermediate layer 140. Accordingly, it is necessary to formthe capping layer 210 on the ion source gate electrode 160 in order tominimize the influence of the oxidation of the ion source gate electrode160.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating migration of ions in theintermediate layer 140 according to the voltage of the gate electrode inthe switching atomic transistor according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, an internal operation state of the switching atomictransistor 100 corresponding to a voltage applied to the ion source gateelectrode 160 is modeled to be schematized and will be described step bystep.

State S1 shows an initial state of the switching atomic transistor.

In order to transition to state S2, a voltage, i.e., an overvoltage,higher than a voltage applied to the ion source gate electrode 160 whilethe switching atomic transistor is repeatedly operated is applied to theion source gate electrode 160 upon an initial operation. The highvoltage applied upon the initial operation causes ions from the ionsource gate electrode 160 to pass through the diffusion barrier layer150 and flow into the intermediate layer 140. The ions that have flowedinto the intermediate layer 140 migrate to a channel area 170 by avoltage, i.e., a positive voltage, applied to the ion source gateelectrode 160 and forms an ion layer, which serves as a conductivebridge. The conductive ion layer enables electric current to flow fromthe source electrode 130 to the drain electrode 120. That is, the sourceelectrode 130 and the drain electrode 120 are turned on. After anappropriate number of ions flow into the intermediate layer 140, a highvoltage such as that applied upon the initial operation is not appliedto the ion source gate electrode 160. In other words, after anappropriate number of ions flow into the intermediate layer 140, avoltages is applied not for additional ion flow but for an iterativeoperation in which the ions migrates in the intermediate layer 140 toform or eliminate an ion layer.

When a voltage, e.g., a negative voltage, having a polarity opposite tothat of the voltage applied to the ion source gate electrode 160 instate S2 in order to form the ion layer is applied to the ion sourcegate electrode 160, the ion layer of the channel area 170 starts todecrease (S3) and finally the ion layer is removed from the channel area170 (S4). That is, since the flow of electrons from the source electrode130 to the drain electrode 120 disappears, no electric current flows andthus the internal operation state changes to an off state. The applyingof a positive voltage to the ion source gate electrode 160 so that ionsmigrate to a channel area 170 inside the intermediate layer 140 to forman ion layer and the applying of a negative voltage to the ion sourcegate electrode 160 so that ions migrate toward the ion source gateelectrode 160 to eliminate the ion layer may include adjusting asource-drain current by adjusting the number of ions to be moveddepending on levels of the voltage applied to the ion source gateelectrode 160.

Hereinafter, the reference numerals of FIG. 1 will be used to describe amanufacturing example according to this embodiment.

Manufacturing Example 1

A source electrode 130 and a drain electrode 120 were formed on asubstrate 110. The source electrode 130 and the drain electrode 120 wereformed of TiN. An intermediate layer 140 was formed on some regions ofthe source electrode 130 and the drain electrode 120 and on a portion ofthe substrate 110 exposed to the space between the source electrode 130and the drain electrode 120. The intermediate layer 140 was formed ofAg₂S. A diffusion barrier layer 150 was formed on the intermediate layer140. The diffusion barrier layer 150 was formed of WN. The switchingatomic transistor according to manufacturing example 1 was manufacturedby forming an ion source gate electrode 160 on the diffusion barrierlayer 150 using AgCu.

Ag ions of the intermediate layer 140 may migrate according to a voltageapplied to the ion source gate electrode 160. Accordingly, when Ag₂S isused for the intermediate layer 140 like manufacturing example 1, it ispossible to omit a step of applying an overvoltage to the ion sourcegate electrode 160 to diffuse Cu ions into the intermediate layer 140for the purpose of an initial operation.

Also, when the step of applying an overvoltage to the ion source gateelectrode 160 to diffuse Cu ions or Ag ions into an ion channel layer isnot omitted, the Cu ions or Ag ions that have migrated from the ionsource gate electrode 160 is added to Ag ions present in theintermediate layer 140, so that the number of ions involved in theoperation of the transistor increases in the intermediate layer 140.Therefore, there is an advantage in that the operation of the switchingatomic transistor becomes possible at a low voltage.

Hereinafter, the reference numerals of FIG. 2 will be used to describemanufacturing examples according to this embodiment.

Manufacturing Example 2

A source electrode 130 and a drain electrode 120 were formed of TiN andto a thickness of 10 nm, and an intermediate layer 140 was formed ofCu₂S and to a thickness of 15 nm. Also, an ion source gate electrode 160was formed of CuAg and to a thickness of 10 nm, and a diffusion barrierlayer 150 was formed of HfN and to a thickness of 10 nm. Inmanufacturing example 2, no capping layer 210 was formed on the ionsource gate electrode 160.

In manufacturing example 2, since the thickness of the ion source gateelectrode 160 was greater than or equal to 5 nm, a switching atomictransistor having less influence due to oxidation of the ion source gateelectrode 160 was manufactured even without the formation of the cappinglayer 210.

Manufacturing Example 3

A source electrode 130 and a drain electrode 120 were formed of TiN andto a thickness of 10 nm, and an intermediate layer 140 was formed ofCuTeS and to a thickness of 10 nm. Also, an ion source gate electrode160 was formed of CuAg and to a thickness of 5 nm, and a diffusionbarrier layer 150 was formed of HfN and to a thickness of 10 nm.

Also, a switching atomic transistor was manufactured by forming acapping layer 210 on the ion source gate electrode 160, of WN, and to athickness of 5 nm or more.

Manufacturing Example 4

A source electrode 130 and a drain electrode 120 were formed of TiN andto a thickness of 10 nm, and an intermediate layer 140 was formed ofCuTeS and to a thickness of 10 nm. Also, an ion source gate electrode160 was formed of Cu and to a thickness of 5 nm, and a diffusion barrierlayer 150 was formed of AlN and to a thickness of 10 nm.

Also, a switching atomic transistor was manufactured by forming acapping layer 210 on the ion source gate electrode 160, of TaN, and to athickness of 5 nm or more.

Evaluation Example 1

FIGS. 4A to 4C are characteristic graphs of a two-electrode structureswitching atomic device produced to evaluate operation of the devicedepending on the presence or absence of a diffusion barrier layer.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the switching atomic two-electrode device includesan ion source electrode, an inactive electrode, and an ion channel layerinterposed between the ion source electrode and the inactive electrode.The ion source electrode is a pure-metal electrode. The switching atomictwo-electrode device includes no diffusion barrier layer.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the switching atomic two-electrode device includesan ion source electrode, an inactive electrode, and an ion channel layerinterposed between the ion source electrode and the inactive electrode.The ion source electrode is a CuTe metal alloy electrode.

Referring to FIG. 4C, the switching atomic two-electrode device includesan ion source electrode, an inactive electrode, an ion channel layerinterposed between the ion source electrode and the inactive electrode,and a diffusion barrier layer interposed between the ion channel layerand the ion source electrode. CuTe is applied to the ion sourceelectrode to form a metal alloy electrode.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, it can be seen that the degree ofvariation (FIG. 4B) of the switching atomic two-electrode deviceemploying a metal alloy electrode as the material of the ion sourceelectrode is improved compared to the degree of variation (FIG. 4A) ofthe switching atomic two-electrode device employing a pure-metalelectrode as the material of the ion source gate electrode.

Referring to FIG. 4C, it can be seen that the degree of variation of theswitching atomic two-electrode device employing a metal alloy electrodeas the ion source electrode and adopting a diffusion barrier layer ismost greatly improved. This means that the operation of the switchingatomic two-electrode device adopting the diffusion barrier layer is moststable.

Evaluation Example 2

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating operation of the switching atomictransistor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that a source-drain currentincreases in direction #1 as the voltage of the ion source gateelectrode 160 increases and that a source-drain current is maintained ordecreases in direction #2 as the voltage of the ion source gateelectrode 160 decreases. This is a hysteresis loop different fromconventional transistors.

Subsequently, it can be seen that a low resistance state is maintainedwhen the voltage of the ion source gate electrode 160 is swept in thenegative direction and then the low resistance state transitions to ahigh resistance state when a high negative voltage, such asapproximately −10 V, is applied as the voltage of the ion source gateelectrode 160.

When the voltage applied to the ion source gate electrode 160 is sweptin the positive direction (direction #4) in the high resistance state,an electric current between the source electrode 130 and the drainelectrode 120 is returned to an initial position, i.e., zero when thevoltage of the ion source gate electrode 160 is zero.

In addition, when the voltage applied to the ion source gate electrode160 is swept from 0 V to +1 V from the initial state and then thevoltage of the ion source gate electrode 160 is swept again in thenegative direction as shown in a dotted line, a hysteresis loop shape isshown in which the low resistance state is maintained during the initialdecrease in the voltage of the ion source gate electrode 160 and thesource-drain current decreases significantly to zero when the voltage ofthe ion source gate electrode 160 reaches a specific point. Accordingly,by adjusting the voltage applied to the ion source gate electrode 160,it is possible to use the switching atomic transistor as a multi-levelnon-volatile memory device.

Embodiment 2: Vertical Atomic Transistor

A vertical atomic transistor capable of high integration based on thesame technical concept as the switching atomic transistor described inEmbodiment 1 will be disclosed below. With respect to the same orsimilar elements to those of the switching atomic transistor ofEmbodiment 1, the descriptions thereof will be omitted to avoid repeatdescription, and the following description will focus on thecharacteristic structure and operation method of the vertical atomictransistor with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the vertical atomic transistor accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a surface oxide layer 520 is disposed on asubstrate 510, and a drain electrode 565 is formed on the surface oxidelayer 520. An ion channel layer 560 is formed on a portion of the drainelectrode 565 to have a height perpendicular to the substrate 510. Afirst oxide layer 530 is formed on the surface oxide layer 520 and thedrain electrode 565 in a peripheral area in which the ion channel layer560 is formed. The first oxide layer 530 has a thickness lower than theheight of the ion channel layer 560 so that a portion of a side surfaceof the ion channel layer 560 is exposed. A first diffusion barrier layer550 is formed in contact with the exposed side surface of the ionchannel layer 560. An ion source gate electrode 540 is formed in contactwith an outer surface of the first diffusion barrier layer 550. A seconddiffusion barrier layer 575 and a source electrode 570 are formed on theion channel layer 560.

The substrate 510 may be formed of a material such as those described inEmbodiment 1. The surface oxide layer 520 may be formed on the substrate510. The surface oxide layer 520 may be formed of any one materialselected from the group consisting of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, crystalline SiO₂, andcrystalline Al₂O₃.

The drain electrode 565 may be formed of at least one material selectedfrom the group consisting of p-doped Si, n-doped Si, WN, AlN, TaN, HfN,TiN, TiON, and WON.

The ion channel layer 560 formed on the drain electrode 565 may have awidth of 1 nm to 100 nm and a height of 2 mm to 30 nm. The height of theion channel layer 560 may determine the space between the drainelectrode 565 and the source electrode 570.

The ion channel layer 560 may be formed of at least one materialselected from the group consisting of CuInS, CuInSe, CuInS, CdInSe,MnInS, MnZnInS, ZnInSe, InS, InSSe, InSe, CdS, ZnCdS, ZnInS, a-Si, SiO₂,Al₂O₃, crystalline SiO₂, crystalline Al₂O₃, CuS, and metal oxides.

The first oxide layer 530 may be formed around the ion channel layer560. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the firstoxide layer 530 may be replaced with an ion channel layer forming layer620. The first oxide layer 530 may have a thickness smaller than theheight of the ion channel layer 560. Accordingly, a portion of a sidesurface of the ion channel layer 560 is exposed.

The first oxide layer 530 may be formed of at least one materialselected from the group consisting of CuInS, CuInSe, CuInS, CdInSe,MnInS, MnZnInS, ZnInSe, InS, InSSe, InSe, CdS, ZnCdS, ZnInS, a-Si, SiO₂,Al₂O₃, crystalline SiO₂, crystalline Al₂O₃, CuS, and metal oxides.

The first diffusion barrier layer 550 is formed on the exposed portionof the side surface of the ion channel layer 560. The first diffusionbarrier layer 550 may be formed of a conductive nitride. For example,the first diffusion barrier layer 550 may be formed of at least onematerial selected from the group consisting of WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, GaN,SiN_(x), and Si₃N₄, but the present invention is not limited thereto.The first diffusion barrier layer 550 may have a thickness of 0.4 nm to5 nm, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The firstdiffusion barrier layer 550 can suppress fatigue that may occur in theion channel layer 560 due to repeated operation of the vertical atomictransistor to improve stability of the vertical atomic transistor.

The ion source gate electrode 540 may be formed on the outer surface ofthe first diffusion barrier layer 550. The ion source gate electrode 540may be a metal that has a high diffusion coefficient in a solid so thatmetal ions can migrate due to an electric field. For example, the ionsource gate electrode 540 may be formed of any one material selectedfrom the group consisting of Cu, Ag, and alloys thereof, but the presentinvention is not limited thereto. The ion source gate electrode 540 maybe formed by performing sulphidation on at least one of Cu, CuTe, and Agthrough chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The ion source gate electrode540 may have a thickness of 1 nm to 100 nm, but the present invention isnot limited thereto.

The second diffusion barrier layer 575 is formed on the ion channellayer 560. The second diffusion barrier layer 575 may be formed of aconductive nitride. The second diffusion barrier layer 575 may have athickness of 0.4 nm to 5 nm, but the present invention is not limitedthereto.

The second diffusion barrier layer 575 may be formed of at least onematerial selected from the group consisting of WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, GaN,SiN_(x), and Si₃N₄.

Optionally, a second oxide layer formed on a side surface of the seconddiffusion barrier layer 575 and configured to shield the exposed portionof the side surface of the ion channel layer 560 may be formed over thefirst oxide layer 530.

The second oxide layer (not shown) may be formed of at least onematerial selected from the group consisting of CuInS, CuInSe, CuInS,CdInSe, MnInS, MnZnInS, ZnInSe, InS, InSSe, InSe, CdS, ZnCdS, ZnInS,a-Si, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, crystalline SiO₂, crystalline Al₂O₃, CuS, and metaloxides.

The source electrode 570 is formed on the second diffusion barrier layer575. The source electrode 570 may be formed of at least one materialselected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, and alloys thereof. Forexample, the material may include, but is not limited to, Cu₂S, CuTeS,Ag, CuTeGe, AgSe, CuTeSi, and Ag₂S.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a process of producing the vertical atomictransistor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In order to describe FIG. 7, the reference numerals of FIG. 6 will beused for elements not shown in FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 7, first, a drain electrode 565 is formed on asubstrate 510 (S1). The drain electrode 565 may be formed using a knownpatterning process and metal deposition technique used in asemiconductor process without particular limitation.

An ion channel layer forming layer 620 is formed on the drain electrode565 and the substrate 510 (S2). As described with reference to FIG. 1, afirst oxide layer 530 and an ion channel layer forming layer 620 may beselectively formed. When the ion channel layer forming layer 620 isformed, an ion channel layer 560 may be formed using the ion channellayer forming layer 620 in subsequent processes.

An etch mask 630 is formed over the ion channel layer forming layer 620and then is used to etch out a portion of the ion channel layer forminglayer 620 (S3). The etch mask 630 may be obtained by patterning aphotoresist through a known photolithography process used in asemiconductor process. Alternatively, the etch mask 630 may be a hardmask. For example, the etch mask may be formed of SiN_(x), but thepresent invention is not limited thereto.

An area that is not etched out of the ion channel layer forming layer620 due to the etch mask 630 forms an ion channel layer 560. By stoppingthe etching before all of the ion channel layer forming layer 620 isetched out, the remaining ion channel layer forming layer 620 may serveas the first oxide layer 530.

A first diffusion barrier layer 550 and an ion source gate electrode 540are stacked on an entire surface of a structure including the sidesurface of the ion channel layer 560 exposed by etching out a portion ofthe ion channel layer forming layer 620, and patterned (S4).

A second oxide layer 660 is formed on the ion source gate electrode 540,and then the mask 630 is removed to expose an upper surface of the ionchannel layer 560. A second diffusion barrier layer 575 is formed on theupper surface of the ion channel layer 560 which is exposed by removingthe mask 630 (S5).

A source electrode 570 is formed on the second diffusion barrier layer575 to produce the vertical atomic transistor (S6).

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the process of producing the verticalatomic transistor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, a surface oxide layer 520 is formed on a substrate510. A drain electrode 565 is formed on the surface oxide layer 520(S1).

An ion channel layer is formed on the drain electrode 565, and an etchmask 630 is formed on the ion channel layer to etch the ion channellayer 560 (S2). Since a first oxide layer 530 is used unlike FIG. 7, theion channel layer 560, except for a part where the etching is preventedby the etch mask 630, is etched out completely.

The first oxide layer 530 is formed on the surface oxide layer 520 andthe drain electrode 565 in a peripheral area of the ion channel layer560. The first oxide layer 530 has a thickness such that a portion of aside surface of the ion channel layer 560 can be exposed. A firstdiffusion barrier layer 550 and an ion source gate electrode 540 aredeposited on an entire surface of the structure and patterned (S3).

A second oxide layer 620 is formed on the structure to expose a portionof the ion source gate electrode 540. A second diffusion barrier layer575 is formed on an upper surface of the ion channel layer 560 which isexposed from the second oxide layer 620 by removing the mask 630. Asource electrode 570 is formed on the second diffusion barrier layer 575and the structure to produce the vertical atomic transistor according toan embodiment of the present invention.

Manufacturing Example 5

A silicon dioxide surface oxide layer 520 was formed on a silicon wafersubstrate 510, and a drain electrode 565 was formed on the surface oxidelayer 520. The drain electrode 565 was formed of TaN and to a thicknessof 20 nm. An ion channel forming layer 620 was formed on the drainelectrode 565. The ion channel forming layer 620 was formed bydepositing CuTeS to a thickness of 30 nm. An etch mask 630 was formed onthe ion channel forming layer 620, the ion channel forming layer 620 waseach using the etch mask 630 to forming an ion channel layer 560 havinga height of 30 nm under the etch mask, and to leave the CuTeS layer witha thickness of 5 nm to 10 nm in a peripheral area of the ion channellayer to serve the same role as the first oxide layer 530. A firstdiffusion barrier layer 550 was formed of WN with a thickness of 10 nmand on an exposed side surface of the ion channel layer 560, and an AgCuion source gate electrode 540 was formed on another side surface of thefirst diffusion barrier layer 550 and to a thickness of 20 nm.Subsequently, a second oxide layer 620 was formed by stacking AlN with athickness of 20 nm. A second diffusion barrier layer 575 was formed ofWN with a thickness of 5 nm and on an upper surface of the ion channellayer 560 exposed by removing the etch mask 630, and an AgCu sourceelectrode 570 was formed on the second diffusion barrier layer 575 andto a thickness of 20 nm. Chemical vapor deposition and atomic layerepitaxy were used to form the electrode layer, insulating layer, andresistive layer.

Manufacturing Example 6

A drain electrode 565 was formed on a silicon wafer substrate, and afirst oxide layer 530 of aluminum nitride was formed on the drainelectrode 565 to a thickness of 20 nm. The first oxide layer 530 isetched to form an ion channel layer 560 with a height of 30 nm and adiameter of 10 nm. Subsequently, a first diffusion barrier layer 550, anion source gate electrode 540, a second oxide layer 620, a seconddiffusion barrier layer 575 and a source electrode 570 were formed usingthe same methods as described above in manufacturing example 5.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating operation of the vertical atomictransistor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, by applying a positive overvoltage to a sourceelectrode 570 during an initial state, metal ions of the sourceelectrode 570 moves to an ion channel layer 560 through a seconddiffusion barrier layer 575 (S1).

A conductive bridge 710 for connecting the source electrode 570 and adrain electrode 565 is formed inside the ion channel layer 560 (S2). Asource-drain current flows due to the formation of the conductive bridge710. This state is called a forming state.

When a negative voltage is applied to an ion source gate electrode 540,ions forming the conductive bridge 710 inside the ion channel layer 560migrate toward a first diffusion barrier layer 550 (S3). As theconductive bridge 710 is broken, the ion channel layer 560 becomes ahigh resistance state, and a source-drain current no longer flows.

When a positive voltage is applied to the ion source gate electrode 540,the ions migrate to a center portion of the ion channel layer 560 toform the conductive bridge 710 again (S4). Accordingly, the verticalatomic transistor becomes a low resistance state in which a source-draincurrent flows again.

The forming is once performed, but steps S3 and S4 may be repeatedlyperformed to control operation of the vertical atomic transistor.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing a change in a source-drain current accordingto a gate voltage of the vertical atomic transistor produced accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, it can be seen that a source-drain currentincreases in direction #1 as a voltage of the ion source gate electrode540 increases and that a source-drain current is maintained or decreasesin direction #2 as the voltage of the ion source gate electrode 540decreases. This is a hysteresis loop different from conventionaltransistors.

Subsequently, it can be seen that a low resistance state is maintainedwhen the voltage of the ion source gate electrode 540 is swept in thenegative direction and then the low resistance state transitions to ahigh resistance state when a high negative voltage, such asapproximately −10 V, is applied as the voltage of the ion source gateelectrode 540.

When the voltage applied to the ion source gate electrode 540 is sweptin the positive direction (direction #4) in the high resistance state,an electric current between the source electrode 570 and the drainelectrode 565 is returned to an initial position, i.e., zero when thevoltage of the ion source gate electrode 540 is zero.

In addition, when the voltage applied to the ion source gate electrode540 is swept from 0 V to +1 V in the initial state and then the voltageof the ion source gate electrode 540 is swept again in the negativedirection as shown in the dotted line (direction #5), a hysteresis loopshape is shown in which the low resistance state is maintained duringthe initial decrease in the voltage of the ion source gate electrode 540and the source-drain current decreases significantly to zero when thevoltage of the ion source gate electrode 540 reaches a specific point.The electric current between the source electrode 570 and the drainelectrode 565 may vary depending on the voltage of the ion source gateelectrode 540. The shape of the hysteresis loop according to the voltageof the ion source gate electrode 540 is similar.

Also, even when a conductive bridge is formed or removed according to avoltage sweep of the ion source gate electrode 540 and then powerapplied to the device is cut off, the state of the conductive bridge inthe ion channel layer 560 is maintained. Subsequently, when power issupplied to the device again, an electric current corresponding tostored data may be obtained because the state of the conductive bridgeis maintained. Accordingly, by adjusting the voltage applied to the ionsource gate electrode 540 of the vertical atomic transistor of thepresent invention, it is possible to use the vertical atomic transistoras a multi-level non-volatile memory device.

It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are merelyillustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modificationsbased on the technical spirit of the present invention, in addition tothe embodiments disclosed herein, can be practiced.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A switching atomic transistor comprising: asubstrate; a source electrode formed on the substrate; a drain electrodeformed on the substrate and spaced apart from the source electrode; anintermediate layer formed over the source electrode and the drainelectrode to fill the space between the source electrode and the drainelectrode; a diffusion barrier layer formed on the intermediate layer toprevent diffusion of ions of the intermediate layer; and an ion sourcegate electrode formed on the diffusion barrier layer to supply ions tothe intermediate layer upon an initial operation.
 2. The switchingatomic transistor of claim 1, wherein the source electrode or the drainelectrode is formed of at least one material selected from a groupconsisting of p-doped Si, n-doped Si, WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, TiN, titaniumoxynitride (TiON), and tungsten oxynitride (WON).
 3. The switchingatomic transistor of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is formedof at least one material selected from a group consisting of CuInS,CuInSe, CuInS, CdInSe, MnInS, MnZnInS, ZnInSe, InS, InS Se, InSe, CdS,ZnCdS, ZnInS, a-Si, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Ta₂O₅, metal oxides, crystalline SiO₂,crystalline Al₂O₃, and CuS.
 4. The switching atomic transistor of claim1, wherein the ion source gate electrode is formed of at least onematerial selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, and alloys thereof.5. The switching atomic transistor of claim 1, wherein the diffusionbarrier layer is formed of at least one material selected from a groupconsisting of WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, GaN, SiN_(x), and Si₃N₄.
 6. Theswitching atomic transistor of claim 1, further comprising a cappinglayer formed on the ion source gate electrode to protect the ion sourcegate electrode.
 7. The switching atomic transistor of claim 6, whereinthe capping layer is formed of at least one material selected from agroup consisting of WN, AlN, TaN, HfN, TiN, TiON, and WON.
 8. A methodof operating a switching atomic transistor including a source electrodeformed on a substrate, a drain electrode formed on the substrate andspaced apart from the source electrode, an intermediate layer formedover the source electrode and the drain electrode to fill the spacebetween the source electrode and the drain electrode, a diffusionbarrier layer formed on the intermediate layer, and an ion source gateelectrode formed on the diffusion barrier layer, the method comprising:applying an overvoltage to the ion source gate electrode; enabling ionsto migrate from the ion source gate electrode into the intermediatelayer due to the overvoltage; applying a positive voltage to the ionsource gate electrode so that ions migrate to a channel area inside theintermediate layer to form an ion layer; and applying a negative voltageto the ion source gate electrode so that ions migrate toward the ionsource gate electrode to eliminate the ion layer.
 9. The method of claim8, wherein the applying of a positive voltage to the ion source gateelectrode so that ions migrate to a channel area inside the intermediatelayer to form an ion layer and the applying of a negative voltage to theion source gate electrode so that ions migrate toward the ion sourcegate electrode to eliminate the ion layer comprise adjusting asource-drain current by adjusting the number of ions to be moveddepending on levels of the voltage applied to the ion source gateelectrode.